MRM Christmas Dinner @ Cabalen, Glorietta 3

Horrible traffic. Awesome food. Huge team.

I can still recall last year's Christmas dinner - which we had at Red Crab in Greenbelt 3. We only filled up just one table back then. We were a team of 12-15 people celebrating what was, as most of us would call it, a "transition" year as 80% of the team were hired in that same year (that included myself!).

Fast forward to 2011 and look! We grew enormously - now more than double of the past year. What's great is that we're a well-knit and very tight team. As I've previously stated, we're basically one big barkada hanging out at the McCann office. Cool right?

More than just the growth, the team had so many things to celebrate. 2011 has been a great ride for all of us - old or new. Ibang klase talaga. What's both exciting and nerve-wracking is how we'll move forward to 2012. :)

As always, our team dinner did not lack in bloopers and laughs. Priceless guys, priceless!

Tons of pictures after the jump!

My First Ad Congress Experience

Went to Camarines Sur last November 18-20 to crash the 22nd Philippine Ad Congress together with majority of the MRM team as well as the McCann Erickson and Momentum peeps. And boy was it one of the best weekends I've ever had in a long time.

McCann parade @ Araw Awards
I'm one those guys infront.
Guess which one! HAHA

Tons of pictures after the jump! :)

McCann Worldgroup @ 2011 Araw Awards

As I've tweeted, this past weekend has probably been one of the best in recent memory. Had so much fun in my first Philippine Ad Congress. My weekend, mostly with my MRM peeps, was definitely a blast. Will post pictures next time around :)

Certified Google Adwords Professional

Yeah men!!!

Top Ten for 2010! :)

2010 just ended and a brand new year just commenced. A lot of things happened in the year 2010. There were so many milestones, changes, new people, in new places and even new ventures. I can damn guarantee you that 2010 was one heck of a year and definitely topped all 22 years of my life.

As a quick trivia, our family doesn't do any age old new year traditions - no fireworks, no torotots, countdowns and whatnot. We simply pray the rosary precisely at 12mn then go back to our rooms. :) This yearly thing keeps me in check and definitely reflective in silence and yeah, in boredom. And as such, every year, I make sure I look back at all the blessings I've received. Thus, here are the top 10 things I'm very thankful for 2010 :)

10. "Daang matuwid" dominates the elections

The May 2010 elections marked the first time I voted for national government positions. That's a big jump from the usual class officers then student council elections I'm used to voting for. HAHA.

From the very start, I knew who I was going to vote for and I was confident that my bet, Noynoy would win. Yeah, you can cast a stone on me if you want to - especially those who never wanted and never will like the fact that a guy like Noynoy ended up to be our president. But hey, he is our president and I am happy that he is.

I know this guy does have his shortcomings. He doesn't have a masters degree or even a doctorate to boost his credentials. He doesn't have a long list of experiences and/or achievements.

But yes, I bet you guys will mention the name that he carries. To me, it was more than just the AQUINO bloodline/name. It was his responsibility to protect that name and the love for the country that he inherited. That incorruptible state of mind that we ourselves always wanted. Sa ayaw at sa gusto ninyo, we have a president who's blazing the straight path. :)

9. School Pride :)

Despite the fact that I'm athletically-challenged (if there is such a term), I am an avid fan of sports - especially if my alma mater/s are on the winning end. Thankfully, the teams I cheered for this year all won championships. :)

Ateneo won both Juniors' and Seniors' UAAP Basketball championship. Take note: for the third straight year!!! :) Sweet sweet double three-peat! :)

Now let's not forget the UP Pep Squad for reclaiming the UAAP Cheerdance competition crown :)

UP and Ateneo reprezent!

Hopefully next year I'll be cheering for the green side every now and then. :P

8. Highschool never ends

This is actually a late entry for this list. Had this high school-high the other day - eMboys Christmas 2010 reunion. :) Definitely, a lot of things have changed since the last reunion. Lalo na since high school graduation. It's actually cool to know that most of my classmates back then are mostly law or med students. Mga half pa lang kaming nasa workforce pala. :) Watch out guys, the eMboys just might run this country in the future. :P

7. SugarStop

It all started while my friends and I were walking around Eastwood waiting for a movie. We all needed some extra cash. We all needed some sources of income aside from our allowances/salaries. Thus, SugarStop came to be! :) 2010 will mark as the year this venture came to life and I'm claiming it, big things are coming for this venture in 2011. :)

6. Tagged as Sir Tonico

Yes, that's how I get called these days. I spend my early mornings in Taft teaching - or in better words, educating the minds of college students. I actually never thought I'd have this chance so early in my career but an e-mail followed by a phone call, then a teaching demo earned me the opportunity to teach. :) If you guys know me well, it has always been my dream to teach. Thus, I'm living my dream. Hope all things work out this trimester :)

5. Agency Life

That's me right there living the agency life. Most people say that life in an advertising agency or in a marketing research firm is living life like a prostitute. I must admit that working for my company hasn't been easy. Stress. Overtime. Panic. Information overload. All that mixed up with the honor of working in multinational company like mine. :)

I must say that I'm very honored to be part of the MRM team. More than just the milestones that the team has garnered, it's being part of a team that I can call my family in the workforce. Because of these people, I'm having a good time at work. Maybe it's the fact that it's my first job. But I'm pretty sure this group is special. :)

4. My Passwords

It took some time until the four of us got together. This was like our first complete picture after more than a year. I don't want to be cheesy but these guys and I go way back. Thankfully, we're complete once again and rockin' it. And yes, these are the other people behind SugarStop - which all the more makes it sweet.

Cheers to more adventures with you guys. :) We've come a long waaay. :D

3. Weekends and Holidays

Never have I appreciated weekends and holidays this much until I joined the workforce. I just realized why there are such things in the calendar. :) These non-working days have kept me sane amidst the stressful life of balancing work and school. Other than using these weekends and holidays to sleep and energize, marami rin akong narating - now with my new found adulthood freedom. HAHA.

I've partied hard on several friday nights. :)

and went out of town with friends as well! :D

tagaytay with password

Kim and Yaw's wedding in Baguio

Although it's been said that there will be less long weekends for 2011, I'm looking forward to more adventures with my friends this year. :)

2. I earned my BS Stat Degree!

FYI, I graduated last April 2010. :) Not only did my graduation mark the end of my college life, but it marked the start of my life as part of the labor force. I definitely felt so honored to wear that sablay and receive my award and diploma early this year. It really was a big milestone for myself as I move on now with my corporate life. I've got to admit, I miss my college friends and living the isko life.

1. One big happy family

This year, our family grew slightly bigger as my brother and his wife Kim bore a child - Zia Charlize Maningat. Ever since she was born that faithful morning, she's been our family's bundle of joy. :) She's the first "girl" in the family and that all the more makes her special.

Take note guys, Zia's my inaanak! That makes her doubly special to me!!! :D

As I always say, I'm having the time of my life. 2010 just started everything. I know 2011 will be epic - as well as 2012, 2013... and so on and so forth. All these stress and fatigue that I'm feeling are all worth it. Never have I felt so happy and blessed in my life.

Happy new year everyone!

Naamoy ko na ang pasko

Wow, imagine that. It's less than two weeks away from Christmas - the most wonderful time of the year. Every single year, Christmas always brought out the good from everyone. There may have been some exceptional years - years when I wasn't looking forward to Christmas but hey, once that clock ticks 12mn on December 25, there's always that feeling of love and joy, thanks to the big guy up there. :)

Two weeks from Christmas and I look nothing like I'm ready for it. Aside from buying my first set of Christmas gifts for the family, I haven't even set my schedule for the holidays. This is what happens when you're still a probationary employee - you can't just take leaves whenever you want them. Heck, I've never even been absent for work since day 1. :)

I feel like I'm in college struggling to reach the holidays in one piece. I have a laundry list of things to accomplish by next week.

1. make sure that this *toot* for work runs smooth.

2. set things up for number 1.

3. craft a bunch of reports

(pardon me for not being explicit about numbers 1,2 and 3 - there is such a thing as an NDA)

4. check TONS of papers

5. compute for my students' grades

6. buy my family gifts

7. buy my friends some gifts

8. prepare for a Baguio wedding on Dec 27

All that and the madness of the holiday season. :) I'd rather be happy than stressed. Life has been so good to me this past year. Too many blessings that I can't count anymore. :) More than anything else, I'm very thankful for my family and friends who have been so supportive of me this year. I'm thankful that He has given me these chances to grow and be a successful person. :)

As I've said, it's the most wonderful time of the year. :D

so many things to do, so little time

Man, it's been almost a month since I last posted something sensible on this blog. These past few months have been the most hectic ones since those dreaded papers back in college. Work has been so hectic that whenever I get home, I end up turning my laptop on then continue working. Sucks right? haha...

Technology is just so amazing that there work can be done precisely anywhere. No excuses. It works both ways. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and lock yourself inside your room so you can focus on the tasks at hand, which cuts you off from the people inside your house. Your family and all your other duties in life. On the other side of things, you can be twice as efficient because work doesn't necessarily require you to be present at your desk at the office.

You might ask, how about my career in the academe? It definitely took some time before I actually got the hang of it. The schedules. The lessons. The reviews. The checking of papers. The computing of grades.The harsh reality that not all of your students may not pass your subject. The rush for deadlines. Heck, I just got past the middle of the trimester! haha. Nevertheless, I am definitely happy and honored to be in the academe.

Stressful? Yeah. Fulfilling? Definitely. Am I just trying to convince myself? Maybe. HAHA. But we'll see. Still have a long way to go. :)

Career wise, I'm pretty sure I'm in the industry I want to be in. More than just advertising, it's marketing at its finest. Besides, I still do get to use my skills as a stat major. Not as thorough as I envisioned it to be but heck, not everyone really went down that ideal path. :) The people I work with are definitely a joy to be with.

Work hasn't been good to me lately as I've spent more than half of my time for work. Even on weekends and holidays! I've got to admit, I haven't been spending much time with my family, my barkadas, even my bestfriends. But hey, I guess that's the biggest trade-off of being in the type of company that I am in. I chose to be in this situation. So I have to make the most of out it :)

But seriously, do I blame work for making my life this way? Nah, I'm still young and pretty capable of adjusting to this fast-paced life. It took me six months to review my career goals and I'm pretty excited about what's next for me. I really am looking forward for the things God has prepared for me. :)

AM+DG

victorrrry

After the longest 4-day work week ever, our agency had a victory party last night at Attica at the A.Venue mall in Makati. Had free flowing food and drinks. SARAP. HAHA.

And as perceived, working and partying with people from an advertising agency definitely is something different. :) too bad the team wasn't complete last night. :(

Cheers guys! Congrats to us! :) MRM for the win! :)

Chocolaaaaate Fiiirrre

Last monday, since the rest of the MRM team was out for meetings, my officemate Pat and I decided to take a little adventure for lunch. Having Chocolate Fire in mind for dessert, we walked towards Rufino St. and looked for a place to eat lunch. We ended up at this restaurant coinciding with Bento Box, called I love BBQ. After the meal, we went straight to Chocolate Fiiiiire. HAHA

I have got to admit, the place they have right there was just awesome for a dessert cafe. As I have been briefed, the stuff they offer there were pretty expensive for most people so I guess the ambiance and the interiors made up for the high cost.

Their beverage bar

where they lay all the chocolate out

extreme left - their gourmet counter

very cool comfort room doors

We ordered a chocolate milkshake each and a little banoffee. The chocolate milkshake was served in a tall glass and was goooooooood. The little banoffee on the other hand, was pretty bland and not really that awesome which I can forgive since it isn't really their specialty of some sorts.

milkshakes + little banoffee

PatCorr = addict sa chocolate fire

I think Chocolate Fire has a totally great concept and an amazing set of products. Imagine almost everything on their menu has chocolates! They even have Pringles covered with chocolate!!! They also have one heck of a place. Too bad I didn't get to take pictures of the rest of the place. Nevertheless, kudos to the brains/investors behind Chocolate Fire. Looking forward to going back there and try the rest of the products, once I load my wallet with more chocolate covered bills.

Panalo! :) haha

They have a website by the way: http://chocolatefire.com/

chicken-all-you-can with the best college friends in the world

as always, on fridays, I have this mindset that after a long week of work, there is indeed a need to wind-down. As early as around 9am, Tina sent an SMS to the barkada about going out after work. I jumped in to the idea right away. DUH. Tina and I have been trying to set some kind of friday night outs but things seldom materialized because of so many reasons. Finally, things pushed through last friday. :)

Tina, Mikko, Han and I met up at Galle to try the chicken-all-you-can :)

after 4 rounds of chicken :)

Great job Max's. On promotions like these, you'd expect the service would dip down a bit due to the large demand for chicken. But hey, service was great. The chicken served was the same old Max's classic, perfect with ketchup. :) Sabi nga ni han, baka may holocaust ng mga manok sa kitchen. :))

Went to greenhills for dessert and some cocktails. Solid yung cakes nila ah. :)

Nothing like reuniting with your college barkada, specially when most of you are already working. :)

Until next time guys! :) Hope we're complete next time!

On Bringing Baon

Back when I was a student, I was the type of person who'd rely on my allowance for food and drinks. There were times when packed lunch and/or water jugs were available at home. I did use them once in a while but never on a regular basis.

As you may see, I never really considered bringing baon (in english, packed lunch). Until I started working. In a life where you pay for your everyday expenses, one has to consider how small things like this can make much of a difference.

Thus, here's the Top 5 reasons why I bring baon. :)

1. It's for FREE

I started working last May and my mom started to pack lunch for me (well, let's just say she sets aside some food from what was prepared for breakfast). Since then, the helper has been setting aside food for me as well as my brothers. :) As such, I get my packed lunch for FREE. :)

2. I get to save some money

Since it's for free, I get to have lunch without spending as much as normal people do. :) Thus, it gives me the upper hand on keeping up with a strict budget. Especially when I have weekend plans, I can just simply bring baon for several days and save a lot of pesos. :)

3. I get to offset my parking fees

I bring a car to the office around 2-3 times a week. Take note, I don't pay for the gas since I bring my brothers to school. Thus, I only need to pay for parking. A little "sacrifice" on my part, which is bringing baon, doesn't make me feel the burden of bringing a car in makati :)

4. I don't get the burden of choosing where to eat

There are too many places to eat around here at Makati. Mahirap mamili. At least, when I have packed lunch, I am forced into eating the food that I have. :P

5. At least my bag contains something else

When I go to work, I only bring my planner and occasionally my laptop. As such, my bag would be full of air if not for my baon :P

Cheers!

Just like a Prostitute

My officemate tagged me a while ago on facebook with a link. Really funny when you read it, but when you think about it, it's pretty accurate. :))

JUST LIKE A PROSTITUTE

The truth about working in an ad agency or market research

1. You work weird (night) shifts…
Just like prostitutes.

2. They pay you to make the client happy…
Just like a prostitute.

3. The client pays a lot of money, but your employer keeps almost every penny…
Just like a prostitute.

4. You are rewarded for fulfilling the client’s dreams…
Just like a prostitute.

5. Your friendships fall apart and you end up hanging out with people in the same profession as you…
Just like a prostitute.

6. When you have to meet the client you always have to be perfectly groomed…
Just like a prostitute.

7. But when you go back home it seems like you are coming back from hell…
Just like a prostitute.

8. The client always wants to pay less but expects incredible things from you…
Just like a prostitute.

9. When people ask you about your job, you have difficulties to explain it…
Just like a prostitute.

10. Everyday when you wake up, you say: “I’m not going to spend the rest of my life doing this.”
Just like a prostitute

http://sparksfire.wordpress.com/2010/06/24/just-like-a-prostitute/

on me!

Last Thursday, I treated my family to dinner as a celebration of my first month as part of the corporate world. Right after work, I met up with them at Amici Tomas Morato for dinner. :) I already did something like this last year. This time, it felt a lot different. The essence of the first-pay treat/offering was definitely FOR REAL. :)

Really felt great to show gratitude to my family. I owe a lot from these people, especially my parents.

There goes another 'amazing how things change so fast' moment. :P Cheers!